Management of Natural Resources
Welcome to HSLC Guru! This study guide brings you a complete English-medium walkthrough of Class 10 Science Chapter 16 — Management of Natural Resources for ASSEB students. You will find a clear chapter summary, all textbook intext and exercise question answers, additional MCQs, fill-in-the-blanks, true/false items, and a glossary table to make revision quick and exam-ready.
Chapter Summary
Why management of natural resources is needed: Natural resources such as forests, wildlife, water, coal and petroleum are limited, and human population is rising rapidly. Indiscriminate exploitation has caused deforestation, loss of biodiversity, falling water tables, pollution and the looming exhaustion of fossil fuels. Sound management ensures equitable distribution of resources so that benefits reach everyone, not just a wealthy few; it must safeguard the environment from damage during extraction and use; and it must consider the disposal of wastes generated. Sustainable development means meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. The well-known guideline of the 5 R’s — Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Repurpose and Recycle — helps each citizen lower pressure on resources in daily life.
Forests and wildlife: Forests are biodiversity hotspots and home to many species of plants, animals and micro-organisms. Major stakeholders in forest management are: (i) local people who depend on forest produce for fuelwood, fodder, fruits, herbs and small timber; (ii) the Forest Department of the government which owns the land and controls resources; (iii) industrialists who use raw materials such as bamboo, timber and tendu leaves; and (iv) wildlife and nature enthusiasts who wish to conserve nature in its pristine form. Sustainable management requires that all four interests be balanced. The Chipko Movement — led by Sundarlal Bahuguna in 1974 in Reni village, Garhwal — showed how local women hugged trees to prevent contractors from felling them, demonstrating that grassroots participation is essential for forest conservation. Joint Forest Management (JFM), started in West Bengal’s Arabari forest range in 1972 by A.K. Banerjee, involves the local community in protection and regeneration of degraded forests in return for a share of forest produce and wages.
Water for all — harvesting and dams: India has many indigenous, age-old systems of water harvesting developed for local conditions: kulhs in Himachal Pradesh, eris (tanks) in Tamil Nadu, bandharas and tals in Maharashtra, johads in Rajasthan, baolis (step-wells) across northern plains, ahars and pynes in Bihar, kattas in Karnataka and khadins and nadis in Rajasthan. Khadins are large earthen embankments built across the slope of land that capture surface run-off; the soil soaked with water is then used for cultivation. Water harvesting recharges groundwater, prevents floods and droughts, and avoids the evaporation losses that plague large surface reservoirs. Large dams such as Tehri Dam on the Ganga and the Sardar Sarovar Dam on the Narmada generate hydro-electricity, supply irrigation water and provide drinking water. However they cause social problems (displacement of large numbers of tribal and rural people without fair compensation), economic problems (huge public money locked up with delayed returns) and environmental problems (deforestation, loss of biodiversity, silting of reservoirs and emission of greenhouse gases from submerged vegetation).
Coal and petroleum: Both are fossil fuels, formed over millions of years from buried biological matter, and are present in finite, non-renewable reserves. They supply most of our energy for industry, transport and domestic use, but burning them releases CO2 (a greenhouse gas) and oxides of nitrogen and sulphur (which cause acid rain). Conservation strategies include: improving the efficiency of combustion (e.g. CNG buses, better engine design, mass transport), switching off appliances when not in use, using stairs instead of lifts for short distances, car-pooling, using public transport and bicycles, and shifting progressively to renewable sources such as solar, wind, biogas, hydro and tidal energy. The overall goal of management is summarised by the slogan: “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” — use less, use again, and return materials to the cycle.
Textbook Question Answers
One-Mark Questions
Q1. What is the full form of the 5 R’s used in environment management?
Answer: Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Repurpose and Recycle.
Q2. Define sustainable development.
Answer: Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
Q3. Name two fossil fuels.
Answer: Coal and petroleum (natural gas is also a fossil fuel).
Q4. Where and when was the Chipko Movement started?
Answer: The Chipko Movement was started in 1974 in Reni village of Garhwal, Uttarakhand, by environmentalist Sundarlal Bahuguna.
Q5. What is meant by Joint Forest Management (JFM)?
Answer: JFM is a programme in which the local community and the State Forest Department together protect and manage a degraded forest, sharing the benefits of forest produce and wages.
Q6. What are kulhs?
Answer: Kulhs are traditional irrigation channels of Himachal Pradesh that divert water from streams to fields.
Q7. Name the river on which the Sardar Sarovar Dam is built.
Answer: The Sardar Sarovar Dam is built on the river Narmada.
Q8. What is a khadin?
Answer: A khadin is a traditional water-harvesting structure of Rajasthan in which a long earthen embankment captures rainwater run-off, and the wet soil is used for cultivation.
Q9. Give one greenhouse gas released by burning of fossil fuels.
Answer: Carbon dioxide (CO2).
Q10. Name two stakeholders of forest resources.
Answer: Local people living near forests and the Forest Department of the government.
Two/Three-Mark Questions
Q1. Why do we need to manage our natural resources?
Answer: (i) Natural resources are limited and the human population is increasing rapidly. (ii) Sound management ensures equitable distribution of resources to all sections of society. (iii) It avoids damage to the environment during extraction and use, and it considers safe disposal of wastes so that resources are available to future generations.
Q2. List four stakeholders in forest management and one interest of each.
Answer: (i) Local people — depend on forest for fuelwood, fodder, food and small timber. (ii) Forest Department — owns and regulates forest land and resources. (iii) Industrialists — use bamboo, timber, tendu leaves and other raw materials. (iv) Wildlife and nature enthusiasts — wish to conserve forests in their pristine state.
Q3. What changes in lifestyle would you like to suggest to your peers in order to reduce energy consumption?
Answer: Switch off lights, fans and electronics when not in use; use CFL or LED bulbs; use stairs instead of lift for short distances; use public transport, bicycles or car-pool; close taps tightly to save water; avoid unnecessary plastic items and adopt the 5 R’s.
Q4. Mention any three traditional water-harvesting structures of India along with the State they are common in.
Answer: (i) Kulhs — Himachal Pradesh. (ii) Eris (tanks) — Tamil Nadu. (iii) Johads/Khadins — Rajasthan. (Also acceptable: baolis in northern plains, ahars and pynes in Bihar, kattas in Karnataka.)
Q5. What are the advantages of water harvesting?
Answer: It recharges groundwater and raises water tables; provides water during dry seasons; reduces surface run-off and soil erosion; prevents flooding of streets; avoids the evaporation losses associated with large reservoirs; and is community-managed and inexpensive.
Q6. How does recycling help in conservation of natural resources?
Answer: Recycling reuses the materials present in waste articles such as paper, plastic, glass and metal. It saves the raw materials and energy that would have been required to make fresh products, reduces the load on landfills and decreases pollution.
Five/Six-Mark Questions
Q1. Discuss the social, economic and environmental issues associated with construction of large dams.
Answer: Social problems: Large numbers of peasants and tribal people are displaced from their ancestral land without adequate compensation or rehabilitation. Communities, cultures and livelihoods are disrupted. Economic problems: Huge public funds are locked up in dam construction; cost overruns are common, and benefits often reach mainly powerful farmers and industries while the poor pay through taxes. Environmental problems: Vast areas of forest are submerged, leading to loss of biodiversity; the reservoir disturbs the natural flow of the river and affects aquatic life downstream; decomposition of submerged vegetation releases methane, a greenhouse gas; and silting reduces the storage capacity over time. Examples are the Tehri Dam on the Ganga and the Sardar Sarovar Dam on the Narmada, both of which have faced strong public protest. Hence careful environmental impact assessment, fair rehabilitation and exploration of small-scale alternatives are necessary.
Q2. Describe the Chipko Movement. What lesson does it teach about forest management?
Answer: The Chipko (literally “to hug”) Movement, led by Sundarlal Bahuguna, originated in 1974 in Reni village of Garhwal in the Himalayas. A logging contractor had been awarded permission to fell a large number of trees. While the men of the village were away, the women came out, hugged the trees and refused to allow them to be cut. The contractor was forced to retreat. The movement quickly spread throughout the region. The episode taught three important lessons: (i) Local communities, especially women, are deeply dependent on and concerned about their forests. (ii) Indiscriminate commercial felling causes immediate harm — soil erosion, drying of springs and loss of fuelwood and fodder — to those who live near the forest. (iii) Sustainable forest management is possible only if local people are made active participants and decision-makers, not bystanders.
Q3. Why must we conserve coal and petroleum? Suggest five ways of conserving them.
Answer: Coal and petroleum are non-renewable fossil fuels formed over millions of years; the present reserves will last only a few decades at the current rate of consumption. Their burning produces CO2 (a greenhouse gas adding to global warming) and oxides of N and S (causing acid rain), so saving them also saves the environment. Ways to conserve: (i) use public transport, car-pool, cycle or walk for short distances; (ii) switch off engines at red lights and switch off lights and electronics when not needed; (iii) use efficient appliances (LED bulbs, BEE-star-rated devices) and well-tuned engines; (iv) use CNG, LPG and electric vehicles instead of diesel/petrol where possible; (v) gradually shift to renewable energy — solar, wind, biogas, hydro and tidal — and adopt the 5 R’s in daily life.
Q4. What is sustainable management of forests? Explain Joint Forest Management with one example.
Answer: Sustainable management of forests means using forest resources in such a way that the productivity, biodiversity and regenerative capacity of the forest are maintained for the future, while the legitimate needs of all stakeholders are met. Joint Forest Management (JFM) is a strategy in which the State Forest Department forms a partnership with the village community living near a degraded forest. The community helps in protecting and replanting the forest; in return it gets a share of the timber and non-timber forest produce, employment in protection work and improvement of local water sources and pasture. Example: The Arabari Forest Range in West Bengal, where in 1972 the forest officer A.K. Banerjee involved villagers in protecting 1,272 hectares of badly degraded sal forest. Within ten years the forest had recovered, and the project became the model for India’s national JFM programme.
Q5. Compare large dams and traditional rainwater-harvesting methods on the basis of cost, environmental impact, social impact and effectiveness.
Answer: Cost: Large dams require thousands of crores of rupees and many years; rainwater-harvesting structures (johads, kulhs, eris) are inexpensive and built locally. Environmental impact: Large dams submerge forests, displace wildlife and emit greenhouse gases from rotting vegetation; rainwater-harvesting recharges groundwater and supports local biodiversity. Social impact: Large dams displace lakhs of people, often tribals, with poor rehabilitation; traditional methods are managed by the community and strengthen local self-reliance. Effectiveness: Large dams provide centralised supply of electricity, irrigation and drinking water but lose much through evaporation and canal seepage and benefit chiefly distant urban or commercial users; rainwater-harvesting brings water exactly where it falls, lasts long if maintained, and serves the local people. Hence a balanced policy that prefers small, decentralised water-harvesting wherever possible is generally favoured.
Additional Multiple-Choice Questions
Q1. Which of the following is not a fossil fuel?
(a) Coal (b) Petroleum (c) Natural gas (d) Hydrogen
Answer: (d) Hydrogen.
Q2. The Chipko Movement is associated with the protection of:
(a) Wildlife (b) Forests (c) Rivers (d) Mountains
Answer: (b) Forests.
Q3. Tehri Dam is built on the river:
(a) Narmada (b) Ganga (c) Krishna (d) Cauvery
Answer: (b) Ganga.
Q4. Khadins are a traditional water-harvesting system of:
(a) Tamil Nadu (b) Rajasthan (c) Kerala (d) Bihar
Answer: (b) Rajasthan.
Q5. The 5 R’s of environment include all except:
(a) Refuse (b) Reduce (c) React (d) Recycle
Answer: (c) React.
Q6. Joint Forest Management was first initiated in the State of:
(a) West Bengal (b) Maharashtra (c) Karnataka (d) Odisha
Answer: (a) West Bengal (Arabari Forest Range, 1972).
Q7. Acid rain is caused mainly by oxides of:
(a) C and N (b) S and N (c) C and O (d) H and O
Answer: (b) Sulphur and Nitrogen.
Q8. The traditional irrigation channels of Himachal Pradesh are called:
(a) Eris (b) Kulhs (c) Johads (d) Bandharas
Answer: (b) Kulhs.
Q9. Step-wells in northern India are known as:
(a) Tals (b) Pynes (c) Baolis (d) Kattas
Answer: (c) Baolis.
Q10. Sardar Sarovar Dam is on the river:
(a) Narmada (b) Tapti (c) Mahanadi (d) Godavari
Answer: (a) Narmada.
Fill in the Blanks
Q1. ____________ is the practice of meeting present needs without compromising the needs of future generations.
Answer: Sustainable development.
Q2. The Chipko Movement started at ____________ village in Garhwal.
Answer: Reni.
Q3. ____________ are the traditional water tanks of Tamil Nadu.
Answer: Eris.
Q4. Coal and petroleum are examples of ____________ resources.
Answer: Non-renewable (or exhaustible).
Q5. The Arabari forest experiment of 1972 led to the national programme of ____________.
Answer: Joint Forest Management (JFM).
True or False
Q1. Recycling helps to reduce the load on natural resources.
Answer: True.
Q2. Large dams have no environmental disadvantages.
Answer: False — they cause submergence of forests, displacement and emission of greenhouse gases from rotting vegetation.
Q3. Johads are ground-water recharge structures of Rajasthan.
Answer: True.
Q4. Petroleum is a renewable resource.
Answer: False — it is a non-renewable fossil fuel.
Q5. The Forest Department is the only stakeholder in forest management.
Answer: False — local people, industrialists and wildlife enthusiasts are also stakeholders.
Glossary
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Natural resource | Any material or energy obtained from nature that is useful to humans (e.g., forests, water, fossil fuels). |
| Sustainable development | Development that meets present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. |
| 5 R’s | Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Repurpose, Recycle — guidelines for environment-friendly living. |
| Stakeholder | A person or group having an interest in the use or conservation of a resource. |
| Chipko Movement | 1970s grassroots movement in Garhwal in which villagers hugged trees to stop felling. |
| Joint Forest Management (JFM) | Partnership of the Forest Department and local community for protection and benefit-sharing of forests. |
| Biodiversity | Variety of plant, animal and microbial life in a region. |
| Water harvesting | Capturing rainwater locally to recharge groundwater and provide water for use. |
| Kulh | Traditional irrigation channel of Himachal Pradesh. |
| Eri | Traditional water tank of Tamil Nadu. |
| Johad | Earthen check-dam in Rajasthan that recharges groundwater. |
| Baoli | Step-well of northern India. |
| Khadin | Long earthen embankment in Rajasthan that captures run-off; soaked land is then cultivated. |
| Tehri Dam | Large hydro-power dam on the river Ganga in Uttarakhand. |
| Sardar Sarovar Dam | Large dam on the river Narmada providing irrigation and power. |
| Fossil fuel | Non-renewable fuel (coal, petroleum, natural gas) formed from buried organic matter over millions of years. |
| Greenhouse gas | Gas like CO2 or methane that traps heat and causes global warming. |
| Acid rain | Rain made acidic by oxides of sulphur and nitrogen released from burning fossil fuels. |
| Recycling | Processing waste material to make new products, saving raw materials and energy. |
| Non-renewable resource | Resource present in finite quantity that cannot be replenished within a human time scale. |
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